Have the Red Sox found their catcher of the future in Kyle Teel?

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Jan 22, 2024 #catcher, #found, #future, #teel?, #their

<div> <p> <span></span></p> <p> red stockings </p> <p></p> <h2 class="m-article-header__sub-headline">“My goal is to be here.”</h2> <p> Kyle Teel has already advanced to Double-A Portland. <em> Barry Chin/The Boston Globe</em> </p> <p>This time last year, Kyle Teel was preparing for his junior season at the University of Virginia.</p> <p>Now, he’s set to finish camp with the Red Sox on his first trip to spring training.</p> <p>And even with just 23 games of professional ball under his belt, the 21-year-old catcher has already put himself on the fast track to the big leagues thanks to a stellar debut with Boston.</p> <p>“I just try to control what I can,” Teel said last week at the Red Sox Rookie Development Program. “Obviously I want to get it back as quickly as I can. And that is my goal. But the really important thing for me is to control what I can, give it my all every day and work hard.”</p> <p>Boston selected Teel with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, and the reigning ACC Player of the Year and consensus All-American earned high marks for his high contact rate and balanced defensive play. </p> <p>It didn’t take long for Teel to work his way through the lower levels of Boston’s farm system. </p> <p>After just three games with the Red Sox of the Florida Complex League, Teel skipped Low-A Salem and landed in High-A Greenville. It only took him 14 games to earn another call-up, ending his abbreviated 2023 campaign with Double-A Portland alongside other top Boston prospects like Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony. </p> <p>Boston’s accelerated schedule for Teel was justified. After hitting .377/.485/.453 during his cup of coffee with Greenville, Teel hit .323 and homered in his nine games with Portland to close out the 2023 season.</p> <p>Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham acknowledged that catchers often have a longer development curve in the minor leagues, even advanced prospects coming out of college programs like Teel.</p> <p>But so far, Teel has pushed the envelope during his limited time with Boston.</p> <p>“[He’s] “He’s unique in the sense that we don’t have too many rookies in the rookie program that haven’t had spring training,” Abraham said of Teel. “So I think getting him acclimated to Fort Myers and we joked a little bit: He’ll probably come to Fort Myers and [say] “Wow, we have a lot of players,” because it’s only been between 60 and 70 at a time.</p> <p>“We’ll probably have about 170 when I go to Fort Myers next week. So I think about getting used to his routine, understanding the importance of handling a full-season workload, especially the role he has behind the plate. But he got a lot stronger, which is a big goal for him this offseason. And I think again, just consistency — being able to handle both the offensive side and the defensive side at the higher levels is something that we’re excited for him to handle and it’s something that he’s ready to take on.”</p> <p>Even with his limited reps against professional competition, Teel felt his numerous reps with the Cavaliers set the stage for his advancement in Boston’s farm system.</p> <p>“I would say Virginia definitely prepared me in all aspects of receiving and offense, from throwing to scouting reports,” Teel said. “These are all things I’ve done in the past in Virginia and that experience is one of the main reasons why I think everything is going the way it is for me.”</p> <p>Although Boston will open the 2024 season with Connor Wong and Reese McGuire on the 40-man roster, Teel… <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseballamerica.com/rankings/2024-top-100-prospects/" rel="noopener">ranked by Baseball America as the No. 62 prospect in baseball</a> – offers a lot of promise for a Red Sox franchise that is opting for a broader approach after a disappointing offseason. </p> <p>While Teel can be expected to eventually hit a roadblock or two during his first full professional season, he’s already exceeded the high expectations the Red Sox placed on him last summer. </p> <p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/12/01/sports/red-sox-top-prospects/" rel="noopener">As noted by Alex Speier of <em>The Boston Globe</em></a>only three first-round college catchers, Adley Rutschman (2019), Shea Langeliers (2019) and Kyle Schwarber (2014), opened their first full professional seasons in Double-A since the 2013 season prior to Teel’s 2024 campaign. </p> <p>Teel is in very good company given his good start in professional baseball. But the blue-chip prospect isn’t trying to get ahead of the 2024 season. </p> <p>“My goal is to be here,” Teel said. “I only have control of the aspects of my game and how hard I work is something I really have control over. Again, the goal is to be here, but I have no control over other decisions like that.”</p> <div class="m-block m-generic-cta m-generic-cta--post-content m-generic-cta--dark m-generic-cta--homepage m-generic-cta--email-signup m-generic-cta-block-style--default t-amp__generic-cta"> <div class="m-generic-cta__wrap"> <div class="m-generic-cta__content"> <h3 class="m-generic-cta__title">Sign up to the newsletter</h3> <p class="m-generic-cta__subtitle">Stay up to date on the latest news from Boston.com</p> </div> </div> </div> </div>

red stockings

“My goal is to be here.”

Kyle Teel has already advanced to Double-A Portland. Barry Chin/The Boston Globe

This time last year, Kyle Teel was preparing for his junior season at the University of Virginia.

Now, he’s set to finish camp with the Red Sox on his first trip to spring training.

And even with just 23 games of professional ball under his belt, the 21-year-old catcher has already put himself on the fast track to the big leagues thanks to a stellar debut with Boston.

“I just try to control what I can,” Teel said last week at the Red Sox Rookie Development Program. “Obviously I want to get it back as quickly as I can. And that is my goal. But the really important thing for me is to control what I can, give it my all every day and work hard.”

Boston selected Teel with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, and the reigning ACC Player of the Year and consensus All-American earned high marks for his high contact rate and balanced defensive play.

It didn’t take long for Teel to work his way through the lower levels of Boston’s farm system.

After just three games with the Red Sox of the Florida Complex League, Teel skipped Low-A Salem and landed in High-A Greenville. It only took him 14 games to earn another call-up, ending his abbreviated 2023 campaign with Double-A Portland alongside other top Boston prospects like Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony.

Boston’s accelerated schedule for Teel was justified. After hitting .377/.485/.453 during his cup of coffee with Greenville, Teel hit .323 and homered in his nine games with Portland to close out the 2023 season.

Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham acknowledged that catchers often have a longer development curve in the minor leagues, even advanced prospects coming out of college programs like Teel.

But so far, Teel has pushed the envelope during his limited time with Boston.

“[He’s] “He’s unique in the sense that we don’t have too many rookies in the rookie program that haven’t had spring training,” Abraham said of Teel. “So I think getting him acclimated to Fort Myers and we joked a little bit: He’ll probably come to Fort Myers and [say] “Wow, we have a lot of players,” because it’s only been between 60 and 70 at a time.

“We’ll probably have about 170 when I go to Fort Myers next week. So I think about getting used to his routine, understanding the importance of handling a full-season workload, especially the role he has behind the plate. But he got a lot stronger, which is a big goal for him this offseason. And I think again, just consistency — being able to handle both the offensive side and the defensive side at the higher levels is something that we’re excited for him to handle and it’s something that he’s ready to take on.”

Even with his limited reps against professional competition, Teel felt his numerous reps with the Cavaliers set the stage for his advancement in Boston’s farm system.

“I would say Virginia definitely prepared me in all aspects of receiving and offense, from throwing to scouting reports,” Teel said. “These are all things I’ve done in the past in Virginia and that experience is one of the main reasons why I think everything is going the way it is for me.”

Although Boston will open the 2024 season with Connor Wong and Reese McGuire on the 40-man roster, Teel… ranked by Baseball America as the No. 62 prospect in baseball – offers a lot of promise for a Red Sox franchise that is opting for a broader approach after a disappointing offseason.

While Teel can be expected to eventually hit a roadblock or two during his first full professional season, he’s already exceeded the high expectations the Red Sox placed on him last summer.

As noted by Alex Speier of The Boston Globeonly three first-round college catchers, Adley Rutschman (2019), Shea Langeliers (2019) and Kyle Schwarber (2014), opened their first full professional seasons in Double-A since the 2013 season prior to Teel’s 2024 campaign.

Teel is in very good company given his good start in professional baseball. But the blue-chip prospect isn’t trying to get ahead of the 2024 season.

“My goal is to be here,” Teel said. “I only have control of the aspects of my game and how hard I work is something I really have control over. Again, the goal is to be here, but I have no control over other decisions like that.”